Winning the trust of fans important: Rahul Dravid

The Indian Premier Leauge successfully conducted its third edition recently with the Chennai Super Kings winning the title, but the controversy involving its high-profile commissioner Lalit Modi and the subsequent match-fixing allegations took some sheen away from the hugely popular Twenty20 league.

Former Indian captain Rahul Dravid, who also played for Royal Challengers Bangalore, believes it is important to retain the trust of cricket fans. “With millions of fans watching the game with lot of passion, it is crucial to convince them that the game is being played in a clean and transparent way,” he said.

Though he refused to comment on the IPL investigations, ‘The Wall’ is certain that the administrators can’t let the fans down.

While talking to the press after attending the SportAccord convention at the Atlantis on Wednesday, Dravid said: “It is hard for me to comment on the administrative side of the IPL. There are already a system in place, including an investigation, to look into all the aspects of the tournament. From a player’s perspective, I would like cricket being displayed on the sports pages rather than on the front page.

“The cricket side of IPL went really well. The crowd participation was outstanding. Overall, it was a fantastic tournament with the best teams competing in the final.

Dravid, one of the best middle-order Test batsmen in the world, is happy to have participated in the SportAccord.

“It is great to be here. Cricket and other sports have a lot of areas of common interest, including issues like corruption, doping etc. We also can learn a lot from other games and the way they are being played. It is great to see cricket is being represented in 
the convention.

Asked about his views on the Twenty20 World Cup, to be played in the West Indies in a few days, the Bangalore batsman said: “In the Twenty20 competition, it is tough picking a favourite. Still I would like to support the Indian team because they have got a very balanced side. They got a few young players who played brilliantly in the IPL.

“Having said that you can never write off Australia. Pakistan and Sri Lanka would be the dark horses in the tournament. West Indies, playing at home, would also be competitive. England and New Zealand are also capable of upsetting any team on their day.”

Dravid also believed that Twenty20 has the potential to attract new regions and fans into the game, but he is passionate about Test cricket.

He believes he could still offer a lot to India in Test cricket. “My personal favourite is Test cricket, but Twenty20s are hugely popular. T20s allow cricket to explore new areas.”

He said it is difficult to forsee a foreign team in IPL in the immediate future. “Already there are 10 teams and considering the tight international schedule, it is difficult to add more teams.”

Dravid, a role model for many classic players, is a fan of Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble. “Both of them are playing international cricket for more than 20 years. The way they played and handled pressure were amazing.”

Despite playing international cricket for more than a decade, Dravid finds it easy to maintain his focus. “I always love cricket.”

pradeep@khaleejtimes.com